The Somerville State Legislative Delegation and Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone are hosting a public meeting to provide an overview of the construction plans and traffic impacts for the McCarthy Overpass Repair Project. Following a brief presentation, Mass. Department of Transportation (MassDOT) staff will lead a discussion and answer questions.

The McCarthy Overpass Repair Project will make necessary repairs to the viaduct that carries Route 28 (McGrath Highway) over Washington Street. Work included as part this contract consists of making existing superstructure and substructure repairs, replacing deck joints, safety walks, parapets and outer portions of the concrete deck. The McCarthy Overpass Repair Project is part of the $3 billion Patrick – Murray Accelerated Bridge Program, which aims to restore and repair structurally deficient bridges across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Please contact Representative Toomey’s Office for more information regarding this meeting at 617-722-2380.

Last week, a public meeting was held at the Cambridge YMCA to discuss an upcoming test of sensors designed to detect a biological weapon release on the MBTA.

The sensors, which were installed by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) roughly 6 months ago, are designed to detect dangerous biological materials that could be used to sicken large numbers of people. In order to ensure that the sensors work properly, DHS believes that they must be tested in a real-world environment. This need has led to the planning of an upcoming series of tests in which small quantities of a dead bacteria,bacillus subtlis, will be released on the Red Line during the hours in which it is closed to the public.

Public health officials have stressed that this test is 100% safe and I believe that is an important step to guard against a potential crisis in the future.

However, news of this test has caused concern for some residents and MBTA customers. It is, after all, the first test of its kind on the MBTA. Airflow testing has been conducted in the past using substances such as fluorescent particles to track how air moves around the MBTA system, but these tests did not use a biological substance.

The public meeting held last Wednesday served to assuage concerns about the safety of the test and shed light on its development and purpose. Dr. Al DeMaria, a state public health specialist and medical director of the Massachusetts Bureau of Infectious Disease, emphasized that the bacteria used in the test will be dead to ensure that there is no possibility that it could cause an infection in individuals with compromised immune systems. Dr. DeMaria, along with public health officials from Cambridge and Somerville, emphasized that the bacteria used in the test is a food-safe bacteria. In fact, live bacillus subtlis can be sprayed onto fruits and vegetables on the day that they are harvested and that food can be sold as USDA organic produce the next day.

Dr. DeMaria also emphasized the importance of both the biological sensors and the testing that will be conducted to preventing a public health disaster. “Right now people are the detection system,” he said at the meeting. This means that in the event of a harmful biological substance being released on the MBTA, it could take days before the first symptoms appear in those who were exposed. In the meantime, those who have been exposed may unknowingly spread the infection to others. When symptoms finally do appear, it will take additional time for public health officials to narrow the source of the infection to the MBTA and close it. In that time frame, countless others could also be infected with bacteria still present in the subway system.

Having biosensors in the subway could decrease the number of people infected and harmed by the release of a biological agent by as many as ten times. MBTA and public health officials would immediately know the source of contamination and be able to take steps to minimize the spread of infection and properly monitor and treat those who may have been exposed.

The purpose of testing the sensors using a harmless biological substance is to allow the biosensors’ designers to make sure that they are able to detect biological agents under the harsh conditions that exist in a subway system.

The tests are planned for Harvard, Davis, and Porter stations. T customers will be notified one day in advance of the testing by signs posted in these stations.

I understand that the thought of bacteria being deliberately released on the T is somewhat alarming, but I am satisfied that the test procedure has been properly vetted by officials who have a duty to protect the public health above all else. Should you have any questions or concerns about this test, I encourage you to contact my State House office.

There will be two public meetings held by MassDOT in Somerville next week.

The first is a meeting at the Holiday Inn, located at 30 Washington St., to discuss noise barriers and retaining walls for the Green Line Extension project. This meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 22nd from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The second is a meeting on Wednesday, May23rd from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Capuano Early Childhood Center located at 150 Glen St. The purpose of this meeting is to brief the public and elected officials on the progress of the Assembly Square Orange Line Station project.

If you have any questions about these meetings, please contact my office and either myself or my staff will be happy to assist you.

Yesterday, the MassDOT and MBTA boards of directors voted to authorize a $19 million design contract for Gilbane Building Company/HDR Engineering Inc. to provide additional design engineering services for the Green Line Extension. The HDR/Gilbane team, which has been behind the recent GLX station designs presented to residents, will continue their work in construction and design management in partnership with MassDOT and the MBTA.

The approval of this contract is positive news for the Green Line Extension. Although it does not represent a major development in the history of the project, it is critical that ongoing projects within the Green Line Extension program, such as the public station design process that is being led by the HDR/Gilbane team, are properly funded and allowed to continue to completion.

The next major step toward beginning construction on the Green Line Extension will be the issuance of a contract for initial construction work on the Medford St. Rail Bridge in Somerville, the Harvard St. Rail Bridge in Medford, and the demolition of the MBTA-owned building at 21 Water St. in Cambridge. MassDOT and the MBTA hope to award a contract by the end of 2012, meaning that the Green Line Extension is closer than ever to seeing shovels in the ground.

About Tim

Tim Toomey is the State Representative for the Massachusetts 26th Middlesex District. He represents eastern portions of Cambridge and Somerville. He also serves as a member of the Cambridge City Council.